SOUTH CHINA SEA EAST CHINA SEA China Japan

SOUTH CHINA SEA & EAST CHINA SEA China, Japan, and U. S. Shadow

South China Sea Islands) ■ Claimants: China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia… ■ Non-Claimants: ASEAN countries… ■ Outsiders: U. S. , Japan, India, Australia… East China Sea (Senkaku/Diaoyu ■ Claimants: China, Japan… ■ Outsider: U. S.

■ For what reason, are states get involved in disputes, especially outsiders? ■ What’s the difference between the two disputes for a certain state, and why? ■ How did these states’ relevant policies change? ■ Is there any connection between these two issues? ■ How does the relationships among states influence and get influenced by these disputes?

Regional Security Complex Theory ■ Since most threats travel more easily over short distances than over long ones, security interdependence is normally patterned into regionally based clusters: security complexes. ■ Processes of securitisation and thus the degree of security interdependence are more intense between the actors inside such complexes ■ Penetration occurs when outside powers make security alignments with states within an RSC; outside powers cannot usually define, desecuritise, or reorganise the region

COMPARISON ■ China: more aggressive in SCS than in ECS ■ Japan: ECS as major concern; become more involved in SCS on non-traditional security issues ■ U. S. : try to maintain neutrality in sovereignty and manage instability in SCS; have obligations under US-Japan defense treaty in ECS

SCS-WHY SCS-HOW ECS-WHY CHIN A Strategic importance; Economic security; Resources Growing assertiveness Strategic importance; Resources JAPA N Economic repercussion / regional stability; Link to dispute on ECS Non-traditional security issues: Multilateral diplomacy; Bilateral military support Strategic importance; Resources Free navigation; Regional stability Neutrality over sovereignty; Manage instability; Limit SCS in US-Sino relation Obligations under US-Japan security treaty …. U. S. ESC-HOW Build-up of troops and strengthen military power

NEXT ■ Read more about East China Sea, further clarify the concrete security dynamics, the balance of power relations in two issues ■ Write about what RSCT can explain and what RSCT lacks ■ (Refer to some domestic policy documents for changes in relevant policies? ■ (Try to make a new diagram?

REFERENCE ■ Buzan, Barry, and Ole Waever. Regions and powers: the structure of international security. Vol. 91. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ■ Fels, Enrico, and T. Vu. Power Politics in Asia's Contested Waters. Springer, 2016. ■ Reeves, Jeffrey Hornung, and Kerry Lynn Nankivell, eds. Chinese-Japanese Competition and the East Asian Security Complex: Vying for Influence. Taylor & Francis, 2017. ■ Courmont, Barthelemy, Frederic Lasserre, and Eric Mottet, eds. Assessing Maritime Disputes in East Asia: Political and Legal Perspectives. Taylor & Francis, 2017.